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KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 539,819. Patented May 28, 1895.

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F. A. NYE. KNITTING MACHINE. No. 539,819. Patented May 28, 1895.

UNITED STATES ATENTg 01@ FFICE@ FRANK A. NYE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NYE &; TREDICK, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,819, dated May 28, 1895.'

Application nea April `17, 1894..

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. NYE, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification. A

My invention has reference more particularly to knitting machines in which two sets of co-acting needles operate to produce a tubular ribbed fabric.

The objects of the present invention are to adapt machines of this description for the production of fabrics of amore uniform character than have been heretofore formed and in which the ribs will be formed on the inside and outside of the web alike, the result being that the elasticity of the fabric, which depends upon the disposition of the ribs, will be greatly increased.

With these ends in view my invention consists in combining with the dial and cylinder needles and with the cams for operating the same, disposed relatively to each other to act in the same radial plane on adjacent needles of the two sets to cause them to form and cast their loops simultaneously or substantially so, a work guide located relatively to the two sets of needles to direct the work in a plane or direction forming substantiallyk equal angles with the operating needles of the two sets.

My invention'also consists in the details of construction and'combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, of a knittingmachine having my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a side view of the dialcams. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the cylindercams. Fig. 4c is a sectional view showing my improved work-guide when applied to a machine in which the dial is horizontal and dat and the cylinder vertical.

My invention may be applied to either a single feed machine or one in which provision is made for a plurality of feeds, but in the accompanying drawings it is shown in connection with a single feed machine in which the yarn passes from a single yarn guide and is supplied to the needles. In its fundamentalfeatures the machineis substantially id entical with the machines now in common use Serial No. 507,887. (No model.)

comprising a dial, and a cylinder both provided with needles operated by cams.

Referring to the drawings, l represents the upper portion of the frame .comprising two vertical standards sustaining the operating mechanism and supporting on their upper ends a xed annular plate 2 to which is bolted a conical cylindrical shell 3 containing on its interior the cams for operating the cylinder needles. The annular plate is formed to receive and retain va conical rotary needle cylinder 4, having in its outer surface a series of grooves for the reception of the needles, which latter are reciprocated to form the stitch by encountering the cams on the-conical shell when the cylinder is rotated.

5 represents a dial in the form of an inverted hollow cone having on` its interior, a series of grooves to receive the needles which are reciprocated to form the stitches by encountering cams fixed to the outer-surface of a fixed dial plate 6 in the form of ahollowinverted cone. The conical dial is mounted to rotate upon a central vertical post '7 and rests upon the upper edge of a collar 8, which is fixed near the lower end of the post. The post at its upper end is fixed to a crosstree which is sustained a slight distance above the frame on the upper ends of two standards l0, extending upward from the frame.

The conicaldial plate 6 containing the fixed cams is provided with an upwardly extending collar 11, which surrounds the central vertical post and is fixed thereto by a set screw or by other suitable means. t

The conical cylindercontaining the needles 1 is provided on its under edge, as shown, with bevel gear teeth l2, which are adapted to be engaged by a bevel pinion 13 on the inner end of a horizontal rotary shaft 14 mounted in the frame and provided on its outer endas usual with a driving pulley and an idler. When the shaft is rotated, it causes the conical needle cylinder to revolve, and this motion is transmitted to the conical dial by contacting lugs carried by the two parts. Y

The yarn is fed to the two sets ot' needles by a yarn guide l5, which has its free end perforated to receive the yarn, and which is arloo vwhich a bolt 2l extends into the bent end of a bracket or arm 22, which is bolted to the outer side of the fixed cylindrical shell. As a result of this connection of the arm with the plate, the latter can be moved and fixed in different relative positions according to the conditions encountered in practice. lt will thus be seen that the latch opener and varn guide are separate from one another and are independently adjustable, the yarn guide being capable of adjustment around the bolt which secures it to the cylindrical cam shell, While the latch opener is adjustable on its bracket arm, as above described.

Ou reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the outer side of the fixed dial plate is pro vided with a shoulder 23, which is interrupted at 24, at which point the operating cams are located. These cams are of such form that they will, by being engaged by the heels of the needles, cause the needles to rise at 25 to receive the yarn and be depressed by a cam 2G to forni the loop and cast the previous stitch.

On reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the conical shell 3 is provided on its interior, like the dial, with a surrounding shoulder which is interrupted at 27, at which point are located the stitching cams, comprising a cam 28 for elevating the needles to receive the yarn and a cam 29 for lowering them to form the loop and cast the previous stitch.

The relative positions of the two sets of cams on the dial and cylinder are such that the needles of both sets will be depressed and cast their loops simultaneously. This feature and the action of the needles incident thereto, in connection with the peculiar work guide hereinafter described I deem of great importance for the reason that when the loops or stitches are thus cast simultaneously, both sets of needles will draw the yarn with the same degree of tension, and as a result the structure of the fabric will be uniform throughout, or in other words the ribs will appear the same on both the interior and the exterior of the fabric.

In order that the tension on the fabric due to the work take-up shown in Fig. 4 in the form of two co-acting feed rolls 50, 51, may be applied in such manner as to affect the stitches of both sets of needles alike, I provide a work guide 30. This guide is in the form of a circular disk or plate having an interiorly threaded opening to receive a sleeve 30 depending from the conical dial, the sleeve being threaded and the disk screwed thereon. In a machine having the dial and cylinder of the form herein shown, this disk is of such size that its edge will extend in a circular path vertically beneath the point at which the needles coh-operate to form the stitches so that the work as it is formed being drawn by the take-up, will first encounter the edge of the disk and cause the pull to be exerted equally on the stitches of both sets of needles. In order that the disk may be sccurely held in its proper position, I provide a binding nut 3l, which is screwed on to the sleeve tightly against the disk when the latter is in place.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my invention applied to a machine in which the dial plate is horizontal and fiat and the cylinder vertical. In this case the relative positions of the cams are such that, asin the first instance, the needles of bot h sets will cast their stitches simultaneously, thus insuring an equal tension and consequently a reslting fabric of unifortn character. In this case the work guide instead of causing the pull on the work to be applied in a vertical direction, is in the form of a reducing ring 30', which is of such form that as the work passes through it, the pull will be exerted atan angle as shown, in order to allow for the change in the form and relative arrangement of the cylinder and dial. The pull ofthe work take-up at this angle, which is practically the same with respect to both sets of needles, insures an equal tension on the stitches ot' both sets of needles, as in the first instance.

In the present case the machine is shown provided with the usual movable depressing cam for the cylinder for forming the slack course, and the movable throw-out cam for the dial for producing the welt. The depressing cam is shown at 32, as engaged by the inner end of a finger 33 extending through an opening in the cylindrical shell, its outer end being mounted on one end of a rock shaft 34, to the opposite end of which an arm 35 is fixed, which latter is connected by a link 50 to the upper end of an elbow lever 36. The lower end of the elbow lever is provided with a roller overlying a pattern chain 37, the chain being formed in the usual manner to operate the depressing cam at predetermined times to produce the slack courses in the fabric.

The movable throw-out cam is shown at 3S as being mounted to slide upward and downward in a groove in the outer face of the dial plate 6. It is operated bya finger 39, extending through a slot in the dial plate and carried on one end of a rock shaft 40, mounted in bearings in a collar 4l fixed to the central post 7, before alluded to. The opposite end of the rock shaft is provided with anv arm 52 which is connected by a link 5I to the upper end of an elbowlever 4:2,the lower end of the lever having a roller overlying a pattern chain 43, which latter is so constructed that at the proper time the cam will be withdrawn to form the welt in the usual manner.

The fabric produced by a machine embody ing my invention, the rib's being formed the same on both sides, possesses a far greater degree of elasticity than if the ribs were formed on one side differently from the other, the elasticity of such fabric depending on the arrangement and disposition of the ribs. The ribs are of such form -in cross section that they lie closer together than Vhas been the case heretofore, the fabric thus presenting a uniform, regular and pleasing appearance distinctly different from a fabric made on other circular machines. l

The invention, as before stated, is applicable also to machines employing a plurality of feeds, in which case it would simply necessitate a duplication'of the cams; their forms and relative arrangement,however, being the saine as in the case of single feed machines hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a knitting machine the combination with the dial and cylinder needles, and with the cams for operating the same, disposed relatively to each other to act in the same radial plane on adjacent needles ot' the two sets to cause such needles to form and cast their loops simultaneously, or substantially so, and a work guide located relatively to the two sets of needles to direct the work in a plane or direction forming substantially equal anthrough the cylinder, the dial mounted on y said post and formed with a depending sleeve or extension, and the circular work guide mounted on said sleeve or extension and vertically adjustable thereon.

4. In a knitting machine the combination ot' the frame, the iiXed cylindrical cam shell, the rotary cylinder provided with needles, the rotary dial4 provided with its needles and formed with a central opening, the fixed central post sustained by the frame and extending through the opening in the dial, the sleeve depending from the dial, and. threaded exteriorly, the dial plate xed to the central post above the dial and having the cams for operating the needles, and the work guiding disk formed with a threaded opening/to ret ceive the sleeve on the dial.

In testimony whereof I- hereunto set my hand, this 28th day of February, 1894, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

FRANK A. NYE.

Witnesses: JOSEPH B. GoDsHALL, JOHN C. BREWIN. 

